Entries by Mark

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Let’s Get to Know Butterflies – An Educational Nature Activity for Kids

Let's Get to Know Butterflies – An Educational Nature Activity for Kids (with Free Poster!)

With the UK’s Big Butterfly Count happening from roughly the second half of July right through to early August, we thought now was an excellent time to release our free butterfly poster for families to download. This is designed to encourage children and families to get outdoors to see how many of the UK’s most commonly seen butterflies they can see and identify. Our identification poster features 36 of the 59 butterfly species found in Britain (we have excluded butterflies that families are unlikely to see as some are quite rare or limited to small areas of the nation). That’s a much more comprehensive number of butterfly species than surveyed in the Big Butterfly Count (just 19 types of butterfly and 2 daytime-flying moths are included in that survey this year). We therefore wholeheartedly encourage children and families to download our free butterfly poster today, so they can get started on getting to know British butterflies. It’s educational as well as being a wonderful way to get children outdoors to enjoy the fresh air and all the profound benefits that nature will bring them.

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Maths Concepts for Under-5s — & Why They’re Important

Maths Concepts for Under-5s — & Why They're Important

Introducing under-5s to simple maths concepts early will benefit them hugely and lay the foundations for future learning.Once babies have transformed into toddlers, it’s never too early to introduce them to maths-based concepts and language. Indeed, introducing under-fives to such concepts in the earliest years will benefit them hugely as it lays the foundations for future learning. That’s one of the main reasons it is a part of the EYFS curriculum. Continuing this learning at home will also help them instinctively understand that mathematics is a normal and integral part of everyday life. As such, there is no need for it to be perceived as a daunting topic. With all that in mind, today’s guide explores why the early introduction of mathematics is so beneficial to under-fives and how parents and caregivers play a vital role in encouraging their mathematical curiosity, knowledge, and confidence.

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How to Help Your Child Transition to School

How to Help Your Child Transition to School

Today's post aims to help make children's transition to school as easy and stress-free as possible.Beginning school is a huge milestone for any child as well as for the child’s parents or guardians. Whether transitioning from nursery/preschool or straight from home, beginning school can be a daunting step in a child’s life — especially if they’re unprepared. Today’s post therefore aims to help parents/guardians make the transition to school as easy and stress-free as possible for their child, so they are empowered to feel at home and hit the ground running from the moment they begin. Take a look, therefore, at our guide on How to Help Your Child Transition to School. Following the advice should help make this milestone plain sailing for everyone involved.

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Tips for Potty Training Tots

Tips for potty training tots: when to begin, how to encourage toddlers, toileting aids and more.

Achieving potty training success will improve the quality of life for the child, the parent, and other guardians involved in the child's care.One of the key tasks all tots must face, in tandem with parents, is potty training. It’s something we all had to master as toddlers and therefore we know it’s 100% achievable — despite it sometimes seeming to be rather a challenge. Achieving success, though, will improve the quality of life for the child, the parent, and other guardians involved in the child’s care. Learning to master the use of the potty and later the toilet will also be a major boost to self-confidence and independence when the child is at nursery, preschool, and later school. With that in mind, today’s guide outlines our top tips for successful potty training.

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Let’s Get to Know Wild Mammals! An Educational Nature Activity for Kids — with Free Poster

Let's Get to Know Wild Mammals! An Educational Nature Activity for Kids — with Free Poster

World Wildlife Day (3 March)Children and childcare staff at Little Acorns Nursery love nature. So, with World Wildlife Day coming earlier this month and Spring now upon us, it’s the perfect opportunity to release our free Wild Mammals poster. Shown in full colour and printable in high resolution at A3 or A4, it features 20 British¹ wild land mammals that young children can learn to identify and look out for. Some can be seen when on walks, on holiday, or even perhaps at the local park, while others are rather more elusive — but that just makes it more exciting for children when they finally spot them! The poster is perfect for displaying on the wall at home — and is a fun way to both intrigue and educate children, including under-fives. With that in mind, why not download your free land mammals poster today, print it out, and get your little ones closer to nature?

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The Benefits of Sport in the Early Years – & Exciting Chorley News!

The Benefits of Sport in the Early Years – Plus Exciting Chorley News!

Stars from pop groups Boyzone and Westlife visited Chorley Football Club this week and are exploring the possibility of buying a stake in the club.In exciting news, Chorley made it to the National press and TV this week and there has been a huge amount of buzz about what’s been going on. For anyone who missed it, the story involves Chorley Football Club and stars from two pop groups. Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy from Boyzone and Brian McFadden from Westlife visited a Chorley FC match. Along with Boyzone’s Ronan Keating, they are exploring the possibility of buying a stake in the club. The story has gone completely viral with the likes of Sky Sports, ITV and the BBC having sent camera crews to cover it. The stars’ visit and interest in Chorley Football Club have been the talk of the Nation and have certainly put Chorley on the map!

“This is a game-changer that has the potential to bring our town into the limelight like never before, generating a buzz and publicity that will shine a bright light on Chorley and the local area.” — Chorley FC

Perhaps some Chorley children could end up being sporting stars of the future!With Chorley Football Club being only 4.8 miles and a 14-minute drive from Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, this news has certainly registered on our radar. What’s more, it’s sure to fire up greater interest in sport from children in the Chorley area. Perhaps some of them could even end up being sporting stars of the future! With all that in mind, we thought we’d take the opportunity today to explore the value and importance of sport to children in their early years.

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Little Citizen Scientists Needed for the Big Garden Birdwatch

Little Citizen Scientists Needed for the Big Garden Birdwatch

January's Big Garden Birdwatch is a perfect home learning opportunity that's fun and benefits children in a multitude of ways.January’s Big Garden Birdwatch is a perfect home learning opportunity where children can find out about wild birds and get a better understanding of nature itself. What’s more, it’s a hugely worthwhile event that will benefit birds, conservation efforts, and children themselves. The activity also demonstrates how easy it is for little ones to become citizen scientists. With that in mind, let’s explore today the Big Garden Birdwatch, explain what it is, how to take part, and why it’s important for families to get involved.

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Encouraging Learning Through Play at Home

Encouraging Learning Through Play at Home

Parents play a crucial role in fostering an environment that supports exploration, curiosity, and growth through home-based play.As we discussed in our recent post The Power of Learning Through Play in Early Childhood, play helps babies and children to improve cognitive skills, social skills, motor skills and emotional growth. It feeds the imagination, boosts creativity and fosters a love of learning. Language skills benefit, problem-solving abilities are enhanced, and children naturally pick up maths concepts and even elements of science through play. With that in mind, today’s post follows up with the topic of Encouraging Learning Through Play at Home.

How to Encourage Learning Through Play at Home

Play-based learning doesn’t stop when children leave childcare nurseries; it continues at home, where parents and caregivers play a crucial role in fostering an environment that supports exploration, curiosity, and growth through play. Through the suggestions outlined below, parents can help children more optimally benefit from everything that learning through play provides — while at home.

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Autumn Nature Hunt — a Fun Activity for Children (with Free Reference Sheet)

Autumn Nature Hunt — a Fun Activity for Children (with Free Reference Sheet)

The autumn season brings with it a treasure trove of fascinating natural things for children to discover.By mid-November, autumn is in full swing and leaves are turning a myriad of different colours. Scenes of green, yellow, red and golden trees can be breathtakingly beautiful and the air is often crystal clear at this time of year — that’s great for photos! The autumn season also brings with it a treasure trove of fascinating natural things that children can discover if they take the time to look. Indeed, an autumn nature hunt is the perfect excuse for little ones to spend some time outdoors, where they will also benefit from outdoor play and everything that nature has to offer children. Whether finding gorgeous sweet chestnuts, cute acorns, dangly catkins, fascinating fir cones or highly coloured leaves, children will love an autumn treasure hunt and are sure to be enthralled by what they find. It’s a magical time of year! With all that in mind, we have prepared a free activity sheet that children and families can download, print out, and take with them as a visual reference when they next venture outdoors. We suggest children make a start soon, while all the natural wonders are abundant. Download your free Autumn Nature Hunt Reference Sheet (preview below) and get started today!

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The Power of Learning Through Play in Early Childhood

The Power of Learning Through Play in Early Childhood

Children learn best when they are learning through play — it is the gateway through which they explore, discover, learn, and grow.In the world of child development and early education, there is a simple yet profound truth: children learn best when they are learning through play. Play is the universal language of childhood and, indeed, it transcends both borders and cultures. Whether it’s building sand castles on a sunny beach or arranging blocks on the floor at home, play is the gateway through which children explore, discover, and grow.

But how and why is play so important? And can it benefit even babies, the tiniest members of society? In today’s article, we’ll unravel the secrets of learning through play. We’ll refer to some findings of scientific studies that attest to its incredible impact, explore play’s significance in the early years and infancy, and explain how childcare nurseries like ours harness its potential to nurture young minds.

So, join us today as we explore the power of play and why it should be at the heart of every child’s learning experience. Let’s open the door to a world where fun, laughter, imagination, and natural discovery pave the way to a brighter future for our children.